Help Us Lay Our Father to Rest with Dignity

My father, Dale R. Knappenberger, passed away unexpectedly on April 4th. He was the sole provider for our family, and we've always lived paycheck to paycheck — but now, we're facing about $9,000 in funeral and burial costs that we simply can't afford.

He was a proud Desert Storm veteran, and we want to honor his life and service with the dignity he deserves. He married his wife, Jacqueline M. Knappenberger, in 2002 and shared the best 23 years of his life with her. He was so proud of his daughters who are all first-generation college students. I'm attending Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio on a scholarship. I recently won 2 additional scholarships and an award from the Department of Chemistry, and I had just enough time to tell him about my most recent award before he passed. My younger sister is attending Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and her college is getting paid for by my dad's GI bill benefits. My youngest sister is currently deciding on which college to go to, and she loved telling my dad about all of her updates.